STUDIES 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  INSTITUTIONS. 


BY 


DENMAN  W. 


ROSS. 


I. 

THE  THEORY  OF  VILLAGE  COMMUNITIES. 


CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.A. 

UNIVERSITY  PRESS:  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


1880. 


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THE  THEORY  OF  VILLAGE  COMMUNITIES. 


The  idea  prevails  that  the  earliest  form  of  ownership  in  land 
was  corporate,  collective,  or  joint  ownership  ;  that  separate  owner¬ 
ship  arose  in  consequence  of  the  disentanglement  of  individual 
from  collective  rights ;  of  the  rights  of  the  family  from  those  of 
the  tribe ;  of  the  rights  of  the  individual  from  those  of  the  family. 
The  theory  of  village  communities  is  based  upon  this  idea.  It  is 
now  universally  accepted. 

The  theory  has  arisen  in  somewhat  the  following  manner.  Cer¬ 
tain  passages  of  Caesar’s  Commentarii  De  Bello  Gallico  and  the 
twenty-sixth  chapter  of  Tacitus’  Germania  were  read.  The  insti¬ 
tution  of  joint  tenure  in  the  land  communities  of  the  middle  ages 
was  studied.  It  was  then  assumed  that  Caesar  and  Tacitus  describe 
joint  ownership  of  land  ;  and  the  problem  arose,  how  was  joint 
ownership  changed  to  joint  tenure.  This  problem,  now  of  many 
years’  standing,  has  not  been  solved.  Its  conditions,  however, 
are  accepted  without  hesitation  or  doubt.  Men  were  free  in  the 
time  of  Caesar  and  Tacitus,  and  held  land  in  joint  ownership. 
The  same  men  were  unfree  in  the  tenth  century  and  held  land  in 
joint  tenure.  How,  therefore,  was  joint  ownership  changed  to  joint 
tenure  ? 

Then  there  was  a  discovery  in  the  East,  in  India,  of  free  village 
communities  like  those  of  the  West  among  the  Germans  in  Tacitus’ 
time.  To  be  sure  the  land  of  the  Indian  villages  is  not  held  in 
joint  ownership,  but  in  ancestral  shares.  In  early  times,  however, 
it  must  have  been  held  in  joint  ownership;  for  what  was  an  insti¬ 
tution  among  the  Germans  in  Tacitus’  time  must  have  been  an 
institution  among  their  kindred  in  India.  So  it  has  been  argued ; 


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and  who  can  deny  the  force  of  the  argument  of  evolution  as  applied 
to  the  growth  ;of '/nS'tltiitions  ? 

*  <  C  {  *  f  '  c  c*  ^  L  1  1 

Then  there  wars  a  discovery  in  the  West.  There  were  village 
communities  i*l  Ttfeland  in,  early  times.  They  are  described  in 
early  laws  and'  other  Tecpi'ds.  To  be  sure  the  land  in  these  com¬ 
munities'  w^G‘l^ldf5A,tuh^estral  shares.  In  so  far  as  it  was  held  in 
ownership  at  all,  it  was  held  in  absolute  and  separate  ownership. 
But  what  was  an  institution  among  the  Germans  in  Tacitus’  time, 
what  was  an  institution  not  long  ago  among  Aryan  peoples  in  India, 
must  have  been  an  institution  among  the  ancient  Irish,  their  kin¬ 
dred.  So  it  has  been  argued. 

Then  was  discovered  at  last  the  very  thing  itself,  the  real  village 
community,  the  community  of  Tacitus’  Germany,  of  pre-present 
India,  of  prehistoric  Ireland ;  a  village  community  in  which  the 
land  is  periodically  redistributed  among  the  members,  —  the  Rus¬ 
sian  mir.  To  be-  sure  all  the  historians  agree  that  the  mir  is  an 
institution  dating  from  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century  (1592)  ; 
that  it  was  in  its  origin  a  community  of  tenants,  adscripti  glebce , 
not  a  community  of  owners.  But  is  not  the  argument  of  evolution 
as  applied  to  the  growth  of  institutions  strong  enough  to  contradict 
and  silence  the  historians  of  Russia,  the  students  of  a  few  and 
doubtful  facts  ?  When  the  general  truth  has  been  ascertained, 
particulars  of  truths  may  be  disregarded.  So  it  has  been  argued. 

Then  followed  a  general  and  conclusive  consideration.  The 
cultivation  and  use  of  land  in  open  fields  upon  co-operative  prin¬ 
ciples  is  a  fact  sufficient  in  itself  to  show  that  land  was  held  in 
joint  ownership  in  early  times ;  for  now  in  the  nineteenth  century 
men  are  not  educated  up  to  the  point  of  understanding  and  for¬ 
bearance  which  is  a  condition  of  successful  co-operation  with  abso¬ 
lute  property.  Can  we  believe  for  a  moment  that  the  archaic 
intellect  was  capable  of  seeing  the  advantages  and  understanding 
the  principles  of  co-operation  which  have  been  discovered  and  laid 
down  by  modern  economists  with  so  much  wisdom  and  learning  ? 
So  it  has  been  argued,  and  the  force  of  the  argument  has  not  been 
denied. 

However,  there  is  that  primary  assumption  that  Caesar  and 
Tacitus  describe  joint  ownership  of  land :  and  there  are  those  facts ; 

1,  that  the  land  of  the  Indian  villages  is  held  in  ancestral  shares ; 

2,  that  the  land  of  the  ancient  Irish  communities  was  held  in  ances- 


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tral  shares ;  3,  that  the  origin  of  the  Russian  mir  has  been  placed 
by  competent  historians  in  the  sixteenth  century  of  our  era.  The 
force  and  significance  of  these  facts  has  not  been  denied,  except  by 
the  argument  of  evolution  as  applied  to  the  growth  of  institutions  ; 
which  argument,  in  this  case,  is  based  upon  the  above  primary 
assumption  that  Caesar  and  Tacitus  describe  joint  ownership  of 
land. 

The  following  argument  is  calculated  to  show:  1,  that  joint 
ownership  of  land  was  unknown  among  the  Germans  in  the  fifth 
and  following  centuries ;  2,  that  it  must  have  been  unknown  in 
the  time  of  Caesar  and  Ta«itus  ;  that  it  is  not  described  by  them  ; 
3,  that  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance,  equal  division  of  land  among 
sons,  is  common  to  all  branches  of  the  Teutonic  race  ;  4,  that  it 
must  have  been  the  law  of  that  race  before  it  was  separated  into 
branches  ;  5,  that  the  law  of  equal  division  of  land  among  sons  con¬ 
tradicts  the  theorjr  of  village  communities  with  joint  ownership  of 
land.  The  argument  will  consist  of  extracts  from  and  references 
to  the  original  sources,  early  laws,  formulae,  and  documents ;  inter¬ 
spersed  with  such  brief  comment  or  explanation  as  seems  needed. 


The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Salian  Franks. 

1.  Lex  Salica.  LIX.  5.  De  terra  vero  nulla  in  muliere  hereditas 
non  pertinebit  sed  ad  virilem  sexurn  qui  fratres  fuerint,  tota  terra 
perteneat. 

Division  among  brothers  and  co-heirs. 

2.  Formula  (Rosielre,  CXXVI).  Pactum  divisiones  inter  fratres, 

id  sunt  illi  et  illi,  heredes  illui  et  illei  quondam,  qualiter  se  de  alote 
eorum  dividere  vel  exequare  deberent,  quod  ita  et  fecerunt . 

3.  Formula  (Rosi^re,  CXXY).  In  Dei  nomen.  placuit  adque 
convenit  inter  illus  et  illus  germanus  ut  inter  se  de  res  eorum 
dividere  debuerunt,  quod  ita  et  fecerunt.  Accipit  illi,  hoc  est  casa 
cum  omni  circumcincto  ilia,  seu  et  mancipia,  vel  mobile  et  inmobile 
quern  in  ipsa  casa  esse  viditur,  vel  vinias,  silvas  et  prata  quantum- 
cumque  in  ipsa  casa  aspicere  viditur,  totum  et  ad  integrum.  Et  in 
contra  accipit  germanus  suos  illi  alio  locello  illo  cum  omne  rem  ad 
se  pertinentis  .  .  .  et  hec  paccio  divisionis  omni  tempore  firma 
permaneat. 

4.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CXXVII).  Dum  et  divisio  vel  exsequatio 


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inter  ilium  et  ilium  seu  consortes  eorum  de  alode  lui  aut  de  agro 
illo  caelebrare  debetur  .  .  . 

The  inheritance  consists  of  villas  or  portions  of  villas. 

5.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CCXII) . villam  juris  mei  nuncu- 

pantem  illam,  sitam  in  pago  illo,  in  condita  ilia,  cum  terris,  aedifi- 
ciis,  accolabus,  mancipiis,  libertis,  viniis,  silvis,  pratis,  pascuis, 
aquis  aquarumve  decursibus,  mobilibus  et  ininobilibus,  cum  omni¬ 
bus  appendicuis  suisque  adiecentiis,  sicut  a  me  praesenti  tempore 
videtur  esse  possessum. 

6.  Formula  (Rosidre,  COXIII).  .  .  .  portionem  meam  in  villa 
nuncupante  ilia  in  pago  illo,  quicquid*  ibidem  ad  praesens  tarn 
de  alode  parentum  vel  de  qualibet  adtractu  possidere  videor,  totum 
et  ad  integrum  .... 

7.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CCIII).  .  .  .  porciones  meas  in  loco 

nuncupantes  illo,  sitas  in  pago  illo,  que  mild  tain  de  alode  quam 
de  conparato  vel  de  quacumquelibet  adtracto  advenit  vel  ad  venire 
potest  legibus  in  supra  memorata  loca,  tarn  terris,  domibus,  edifi- 
ciis,  mancipiis,  libertis,  acolabus,  merita  acolanorum,  vineis,  silvis, 
pratis,  pascuis,  campis,  cultis  et  incultis,  aquis  aquarumve  decursi¬ 
bus,  movilibus  et  immovilibus,  cum  omnis  adgecentiis  et  adpendiciis 
vel  colonicis  ad  se  pertinentibus,  cum  omni  integritate  vel  super- 
posito,  quicquid  dici  aut  nominare  potest,  in  supra  memoratus 
pagos  vel  ubiquae  de  supradictas  porcionibus  tenere  visus  sum, 
totum  et  ad  integrum . 

These  villas  are  manors  under  allodial  lordship,  subject  to  di¬ 
vision  and  subdivision  according  to  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance. 

8.  Lex  Salica.  XLII.  5.  .  .  .  villam  alienam. 

9.  Lex  Salica.  Capitula  VII.  9.  .  .  .  villam  alterius. 

10.  Lex  Salica.  XXVII.  6.  .  .  .  orto  alieno.  .  .  .  8.  .  .  . 

campo  alieno.  .  .  .  10 . prato  alieno.  .  .  .  18.  .  .  .  silva 

aliena.  .  .  . 

Documents  describing  allodial  property. 

11.  Gu^rard.  Cartulaire  de  St.  Bertin.  III.  .  .  .  dono  vobis 
omnem  rem  portionis  hereditatis  meae  in  pago  Toroanense  .  .  . 
villam  proprietatis  meae  nuncupante  Sitdiu,  supra  fluvium  Agnio- 
na,  cum  omni  merito  suo,  vel  adjacentiis  seu  aspicientiis  ipsius 
villae.  Haec  sunt :  villa  Magnigeleca,  Wiciaco,  Tatinga  villa, 
Amneio,  Masto,  Fabricinio,  Losantanas,  et  Ad  Fundenis  seu  Mal- 
ros,  Alciaco,  Laudardiaca  villa,  Franciliaco,  cum  omni  merito 


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eorum  ;  cum  domibus,  asdificiis,  terris  cultis  et  incultis  ;  mansiones 
cum  silvis,  pratis,  pascuis,  aquis  aquarumve  decursibus.  .  .  .  XIV. 
.  .  .  villas  ipsius  monasterii  quicquid  praesenti  tempore  posside- 
bant,  aut  adhuc  inantea,  ex  munere  regum,  vel  collato  populi  [note 
collato  populi].  .  .  .  XVIII.  .  .  .  Constat  me  non  imaginario 
jure,  sed  plenissima  voluntate,  vobis  vendidisse,  et  ita  vendidi,  tradi- 
disse,  et  ita  tradidi,  de  prsesente,  hoc  est  omnem  rem  portionis  mese 
in  loco  nuncupante  Bumliaco,  in  pago  Taruanense,  quam  de  parte 
filii  mei  Chardeberti  quondam,  ex  luctuosa  hereditate  mihi  obvenit : 
id  est  cum  terris,  domibus,  edificiis,  mancipiis,  silvis,  pratis,  pas¬ 
cuis,  aquis  aquarumve  decursibus.  .  .  . 

The  theory  of  joint  ownership  of  land  is  not  consistent  with 
the  law  of  allodial  inheritance,  because  joint  ownership  involves 
periodic  or  occasional  redistribution,  and  every  redistribution 
would  involve  a  breach  of  the  law.  For  example,  if  two  brothers 
had  three  sons,  the  inheritance  of  one  of  them  would  be  double 
that  of  either  of  the  other  two.N  By  redistribution,  the  larger  in¬ 
heritance  would  be  diminished,  and  the  law  of  inheritance  by 
which  it  was  acquired  would  be  broken. 

If  it  had  been  the  custom  in  prehistoric  time  to  redistribute 
the  land  of  the  villa  once  in  ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  years,  or  even 
within  the  period  of  a  lifetime  ;  how  could  the  law  of  allodial 
inheritance,  which  we  find  in  the  earliest  records,  have  arisen  ? 

Bight  of  the  allodial  proprietor  to  remove  himself  from  his 
kindred,  taking  his  allodial  property  with  him  ;  so  that  his  kindred 
have  no  further  right  of  inheritance  from  him  nor  he  from  them. 

12.  Lex  Salica.  LX.  De  eum  qui  se  de  parentilla  tollere  vult. 
1.  In  mallo  ante  thunginum  ambulare  debet  et  ibi  tres  fustis 
alninus  super  caput  suum  frangere  debet.  Et  illos  per  quattuor 
partes  in  malo  jactare  debet  et  ibi  dicere  debet,  quod  juramento  et 
de  hereditatem  et  totam  rationem  illorum  se  tollat.  2.  Et  sic 
postea  aliquis  de  suis  parentibus  aut  occidatur  aut  moriatur, 
nulla  ad  eum  nec  hereditas  nec  compositio  perteneat  sed  heredi¬ 
tatem  ipsius  fiscus  adquirat. 

13.  The  Laws  of  Athelstan.  8.  ...  If  any  landless  man 
should  become  a  follower  in  another  shire  and  again  seek  his 
kinsfolk,  they  may  harbor  him  if  they  will  be  responsible  for  him. 

In  the  Lex  Salica  it  is  assumed  that  he  who  withdraws  from 
his  kinsfolk  has  land,  hereditas .  But  compare 


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14.  Domesday  1.  p.  172.  ...  si  ita  liber  homo  est  ut  habeat 
socam  suam  et  sacam  et  cum  terra  sua  possit  ire  quo  voluerit. 

Right  of  the  allodial  proprietor  to  alienate  the  whole  or  part  of 
his  allodial  property  to  a  stranger ;  Jiominem  qui  ei  non  perteneat. 

15.  Lex  Salica  XLVI.  De  hac  famirem.  1.  Hoc  convenit  ob- 
servare  ut  tunginus  aut  centenarius  malo  indicant  et  scutum  in 
illo  mallo  habere  debent  et  tres  homines  [?  sacebarones,  sacam  et 
socam  Jiabentes]  tres  causas  demandare  debent.  Postea  requirent 
hominem  qui  ei  non  perteneat  et  sic  fistucam  in  laisum  jactet. 
Et  ipse  in  cui  laisum  fistucam  jactavit,  de  fortuna  sua  dicat  verbum 
quantum  voluerit  aut  totam  fortunam  suam  cui  voluerit  dare. 
Ipse  in  cujus  laisum  fistucam  jactavit,  In  casa  ipsius  manere  debet. 
Et  hospites  tres  vel  amplius  collegere  debet  et  de  facultatem 
quantum  ei  creditum  est  in  potestatem  suam  habere  debet.  Et 
postea  ipse  cui  isto  creditum  est,  ista  omnia  cum  testibus  collectis 
agere  debet.  Postea  aut  ante  rege  aut  in  mallo  iili  cui  fortuna 
sna  deportavit  redere  debet  et  accipiat  fistucam  in  mallo  ipso. 
Ante  XII.  menses  quos  heredes  appelavit  in  laisum  jactet ;  nee 
minus,  nec  majus,  nisi  quantum  ei  creditum  est. 

This  is  alienation  by  adoption.  Compare 

16.  Lex  Ripuaria.  XLVIII.  .  .  .  adoptare  in  hereditatem  vel 
adfatimi  per  scripturarum  seriem  seu  per  traditionem  et  testibus 
adliibitis. 

We  have  the  traditio  et  testibus  adliibitis  described  in  the  above 
passage  of  Lex  Salica  (15).  In  the  following  formula  (17)  we 
have  the  traditio  per  scripturarum  seriem. 

17.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CXVIII).  Si  quis  in  loco  filii  aliquem 
adoptare  voluerit.  .  .  .  Dono  igitur  tibi  omnes  res  proprietatis 
mese  quascumque  de  parte  praterna  seu  de  materna  adquisisse 
visus  sum,  in  pago  illo,  in  loco  nuncupante  illo,  hoc  est  mansos 
tantos  cum  aedificiis  super  positis,  curtiferis  cum  aquarum  ausibus, 
cum  terris,  silvis,  campis,  pratis,  pascuis,  adiacentiis  seu  et  man- 
cipiis  ibidem  commanentibus.  .  .  . 

Right  of  the  allodial  proprietor  to  give-  land  to  his  vassal  or 
slave.  This  would  be  a  grant  of  tenure. 

18.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CLXI).  Quia  si  aliquis  servo  suo,  ga- 
sindo  suo,  aliquid  concedere  voluerit.  .  .  .  manso  illo,  infra  ter- 
mino  villa  nostra  ilia,  cum  omni  adjacentia  ad  ipso  locelio  aut 
mansello  aspicientem,  terris,  domibus,  mancipiis,  vineis,  pratella, 


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silvola  vel  reliquis-  beneficiis  ibidem  aspicientibus :  ita  ut  ab  hoc 
die  ipso  jure  proprietario,  si  ita  convenit,  aut  sub  reditus  terrae,  in 
tua  revoces  potestate.  .  .  .  Compare 

19.  Edictum  Rotharis  (Lombard  law)  CCXXYIII.  .  .  .  Nam 
quantum  de  rebus  benefactoris  sui  per  donum  habuerit,  si  eas 
non  obligaverit,  ad  ipsum  patronum  aut  heredes  revertantur.  Et 
si  aliquid  in  gasindio  Ducis,  aut  privatorum  hominum  obsequio 
donum  vel  munus  conquisierit,  res  ad  donatorem  revertantyir. 

In  alias  vero  res  [res  obligatas]  sicut  dictum  est,  si  heredes  non 
dereliquerit,  aut  se  vivo  non  judicaverit,  patronus  succedat,  sicut 
parenti  suo. 

The  vassal  or  slave  might  hold  land  with  right  of  inheritance 
and  alienation,  but  it  was  always  a  tenure  of  land,  not  ownership 
of  it,  jus  in  re,  not  dominium.  The  vassal  gave  up  all  rights 
of  ownership,  dominium ,  by  the  act  of  commendation.  The  slave 
lost  his  with  his  liberty,  or  his  progenitors  lost  it. 

Acquisition  of  allodial  property  by  occupation  and  undisputed 
possession  during  one  year. 

20.  Dronke.  Codex  Diplomaticus  Euldensis.  266.  .  .  .  unam 
capturam  cum  terris,  pratis,  campis,  silvis,  aquis,  aquarumue  de- 
cursibus.  .  .  . 

21.  Lex  Salica.  XLV.  De  migrantibus.  1.  Si  quis  super  al- 

terum  in  villa  migrare  voluerit,  si  unus  vel  aliqui  de  ipsis  qui  in 
villa  consistunt,  eum  suscipere  voluerit,  si  vel  unus  exteterit  qui 
contradic&t  migranti  ibidem,  licentiam  non  habebit.  ...  3.  Si 

vero  quis  migraverit  et  infra  XII.  menses  nullus  testatus  fuerit, 
securus  sicut  et  alii  vicini  maneat. 

The  right  of  the  vicini  to  prevent  the  occupation  and  acquisition 
of  allodial  property  in  the  villa  by  the  migrans  is  no  indication 
that  the  vicini  held  the  land  of  the  villa  in  joint  ownership.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance  (equal  division  of  paternal 
land  among  sons)  neighbors  were  regularly  kinsmen,  and  might, 
as  such,  become  heirs  one  of  another.  It  was  in  view  of  this  fact 
that  the  vicini  could  prevent  the  stranger  from  acquiring  allodial 
property  in  the  villa  by  adverse  possession.  They  could  not, 
however,  prevent  the  adoption  of  the  migrans  by  any  one  of  their 
number  (compare  15,  16,  and  17),  nor  could  they  prevent  the  mi¬ 
grans,  as  vassal  or  slave  of  one  of  their  number,  from  receiving  a 
tenure  of  allodial  property  in  the  villa  (compare  18  and  19),  nor 


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could  they  prevent  any  one  of  their  number  from  selling  some  or 
all  of  his  land  to  the  migrans  if  he  chose  to  do  so  (compare 
XVIII  under  11). 

22.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CCLXVIII).  Vinditio  de  villa. 

23.  Formula  (Rosiere,  CCLXXIV).  .  .  .  Constat  me,  non 
inmagenario  jure  nec  nullo  coagente  imperium,  sed  propria  volunta¬ 
tis  mei  arbitrio,  tibi  vendere,  quod  ita  et  vendidi  tibi,  a  die  prsesente, 
bunuarja  tanta  de  terra  arabili,  in  loco  noncupante  illo,  quod  est 
in  pago  illo,  quern  de  parte  parentum  meorum,  tarn  de  alote  quam 
et  de  comparato,  vel  de  qualibet  atracto  ad  me  legibus  obvenit ; 
hoc  est  de  uno  latus  terra  illui  et  de  alio  latus  illui,  et  de  uno 
vero  fronte  terrae  illui  et  de  alio  vero  fronte  pervio  publico.  Et 
accipi  a  tibi  in  precio  taxato  pro  hoc,  iuxta  *quod  milii  bene 
conplacuit  vel  conventum  fuit,  solidos  tantos.  .  .  . 

Fancy  any  one  acquiring  land  by  gift  or  purchase,  and  finding 
it  next  day  merged  with  that  of  neighboring  proprietors  for  re¬ 
distribution  !  We  must  not  forget  that  joint  ownership  involves 
periodic  or  occasional  redistribution. 

The  opening  phrase  of  the  law  de  migrantibus  (21)  shows  that 
every  part  of  the  village  domain  had  its  proprietor.  What  did  not 
belong  to  one  of  the  vicini  belonged  to  another. 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Ripuarian  Franks. 

24.  Lex  Ripuaria.  LVI.  4.  Sed  cum  virilis  sexus  extiterit,  femina 
in  hereditatem  aviaticam  non  succedat. 

A  woman  being  under  tutelage,  in  mundeburde  vel  defensione , 
could  only  hold  a  tenure  of  land  jus  in  re.  She  could  not  hold 
dominium.  With  respect  to  property  she  stood  in  the  same  posi¬ 
tion  as  the  vassal.  He  had  jus  in  re,  no  dominium.  The  hereditas 
aviatica  refers  to  dominium.  Compare  Festus ;  Heres  apud  anti- 
quos  pro  domino  ponebatur. 

The  right  of  allodial  inheritance  vindicated  by  battle  of  two. 
This  indicates  dominium  of  course. 

25.  Lex  Ripuaria.  LXVII.  5.  Si  quis  pro  liereditate  vel  pro  in- 
genuitate  certare  coeperit.  .  .  . 

Documents  describing  allodial  property. 

26.  Lacomblet.  Niederrheinisches  Urkundenbuch.  2.  .  .  .  de 
medietatem  ei  tradidi  hereditatis  mee  eadem  ratione  in  silva  que 
dicitur  Secewald  siue  Sujfterbant,  exceptis  agris  qui  inibi  ante  extir- 
pati  sunt  a  patribus  aut  ab  hominibus  nostris.  .  .  .  3  .  .  .  unum 


11 


modicum  curtile  cum  agris  III  in  eadem  villa  et  cum  waterscapis, 
perviis,  communiis  pascuis  [?  undivided  inheritance],  et  dedi  ei  po- 
testatem  habere  in  silva  que  dicitur  Sitroth  [?  undivided  inherit¬ 
ance].  ...  4  ,  terram  pro^rif  jiiriBi^’i  V‘.  «  id  est  totam  ter- 

ram  illam  quam  Landulfus  litus  metis  incolebat  et  proserviebat  et 
unum  agrum  quern  Hildegerus’iit^ehueis  Ijiapto  in-meo  beneficio  ante 
habuit,  cum  omnibus  que  ad  ipsam  terrain  respitiunt,  id  est  silvis, 
pratis,  pascuis,  perviis,  aquis  aquarpmqtr^  decqinibps,  piscationibus. 
.  .  .  5  .  .  .  particulam  hereditatis' idee,  Id  est,  ipsum  locum  qui 
dicitur  Ad  Crucem  cum  pratis,  qui  ibi  jacent  in  ripa  fluvii  Arnapi, 
ubi  quondam  avus  meus  Erminfridus  casam  habebat  cum  duobus 
agris  qui  separati  sunt  non  longe  ab  eodem  loco,  dominationemque 
in  silvain  que  dicitur  Sitroth  [?  undivided  inheritance.  Compare 
document  3  above]  .  .  .  8  .  .  .  portionem  hereditatis  mee,  id 
est,  omne  quod  mihi  jure  hereditario  legibus  obvenit  ...  in  terra 
aratoria  seu  in  pratis  et  in  pascuis  et  omnem  communionem  mecum 
[?  undivided  inheritance]  in  silvam  que  dicitur  Suiftarbant  [com¬ 
pare  document  2  abovb],  excepta  una  particula  in  ilia  prata  que 
dicitur  Blidgeringmad ,  quam  mihi  reservavi  pro  necessitatibus 
meis.  .  .  .  16  .  .  .  nos  coheredes  et  conparticipes  et  consan- 
guinei  .  .  .  tradidimus  agrum  hereditarii  juris  nostri  [undivided 
inheritance].  .  .  .  17  .  .  .  Idcirco  placuit  nobis  coheredibus  et 
conparticipibus  in  uno  patrimonio  .  .  .  tradere  .  .  .  aliquam 
particulam  hereditatis  nostre.  ...  21  Dum  omnibus  vicinis 
suis  non  habetur  incognitum  qualiter  Hembaldus  filius  Heri- 
baldi  tradidit  .  .  .  suam  comprehensionem  illam  quam  ipse  Hem¬ 
baldus  in  propria  liereditate  in  communionem  proximorum  suorum 
[this  is  conclusive]  proprio  labore  et  adiutorio  amicorum  suorum 
legibus  [by  right  of  allodial  inheritance]  comprehendit  et  stir- 
pavit.  .  .  .  22  .  .  .  curtile  unum  et  duodecimam  partem  in  sil¬ 
vam  [perhaps  the  donor’s  grandfather  owned  the  whole  and  had 
four  sons  and  the  donor  had  two  brothers]]"  qui  dicitur  Braclog 
cum  pascuis  et  plena  dominatione.  .  .  .  29  .  .  .  vendidi  pro- 
prietatis  mee  ...  in  terra  aribili  terra  et  silva  quasi  jornales  VI. 
et  accepi  a  te  pretio.  .  .  .  33  .  .  .  duas  partes  de  ilia  foreste, 
.  .  .  quicquid  pater  noster  Amalricus  nobis  dimisit  in  hereditatem 
et  in  aliis  duobus  locis  terra  aratoria  .  .  .  unum  ante  ilia  porta 
orientale,  alterum  prope  de  ipsa  foreste  et  inter  ilia  dua  loca  liabent 
jornales  X.  .  .  .  34  .  .  .  vendidi  res  meas  proprias  .  .  .  jornales 


12 


IIII.  et  liabent  de  ambos  latus  terra  Frithuric  de  uno  fronte 
terra  Lantbert,  de  alio  fronte  vero,  terra  ipsius  emptore.  .  .  . 
89  .  .  .  jornale  uno  de  terra  in  villa  nuncupante  Witi  et  cum  eo 
medietatem  de  silva,;  quicquid ,  mihi  in  ipsa  villa,  jure  paterno  ad- 
venit.  .  .  .  61t  .  terram  XXv»animalium  -et  dimidiam  unius 
[amusing  issue  "of  the  ;l$iw  of  allodial  Inheritance].  .  .  .  64  .  .  . 
vendidimus,  id  est  comprehensionem  nostram  in  silva  que  vocatur 
Witherowald  quaui  Cpipprehepsionem  homines  tui  una  nobis  cum 
circuierunt  et  novis  signis  obfirmaverunt  et  accepimus  a  te  pretium 
pro  ea.  .  .  . 

I  will  refer  the  reader  to  the  following  documents. 

27.  Beyer.  Urkundenbuch  der  mittelrlieinischen  Terri torien.  6. 
8.  18.  14.  19.  25.  30.  32.  39.  41. 

28.  Hontheim.  Historia  Trevirensis.  XXVII.  XXIX.  XXXII. 
XXXV.  XXXIX.  XLI.  XLVII. 

29.  Codex  Laureshamensis.  X.  XI.  XII.  XIII.  XV.  XXXIII. 
XXXIV. 

A  few  more  extracts  may  be  made  from  — 

30.  Dronke.  Traditiones  Fuldenses.  Cap.  6.  Discriptiones  eorum 
qui  de  Hassia  et  Loganahe,  Angergowe  et  Lutringia  et  Vestfalia, 
sco.  Bonifacio  tradiderunt  bona  sua.  2  .  .  .  .  quicquid  proprie- 
tatis  habuit  in  pratis,  agris,  silvis  domibus,  familiis  et  prolibus 
suis.  21  ...  .  lidum  unum  cum  omnibus  que  ad  eum  spectant 
et  cum  LXX  jugeribus  terre  culte  .  .  .  25  .  .  .  unam  cap- 
turam  .  .  .  33  .  .  .  proprietates  suas  in  Teggenbach,  idem  par¬ 
tem  capture  et  silvam  cum  agris,  pratis,  campis,  domibus  .  .  . 
38  .  .  .  mansum  unum  et  XL  jugera  de  terra  arabili  et  prata 
ad  XX  carradas  de  feno  .  .  .  58  .  .  .  quicquid  in  ipsa  marca 
proprietatis  habuerunt.  67  .  .  .  unam  holzmarcham  et  prata  ad 
III  carradas  feni.  81  .  .  .  unam  videlicet  capturam  qua.m  fluvius 
Feltcruccha  transmeat.  94  .  .  .  hubam  I  et  areas  II  et  de 
prato  XXX  porcorum  valens.  104  .  .  .  XII  jugera  et  ambitum 
unum  [compare  document  64  under  26]  de  silva  cum  agris  et 
pratis.  112  .  .  .  XXX  jugera  in  singulis  locis  .  .  .  124  .  .  . 
aream  in  latitudine  X  virgarum  et  in  longitudine  CXXVIII. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  above  alienations  of  allodial 
property  to  St.  Boniface  were  in  many,  if  not  in  most  cases,  made 
by  converts  to  Christianity. 

It  appears  from  these  documents  that  the  hereditas  aviatica  con¬ 
sisted  of  villas  or  portions  of  villas .  Compare  — 


13 


31.  Lex  Ripuaria.  LX.  1.  Si  quis  villam  aut  vineam  vel  quam- 
libet  possessiunculam  ab  alio  comparavit  efc  testamentum  accipere 
non  potuerit,  si  mediocris  res  est  cum  sex  testibus,  et  si  parva  cum 
tribus,  quod  si  magna  cum  duodecem  ad  locum  traditionis,  cum 
totidem  numero  pueris  accedat,  et  sic  eis  prsesentibus  pretium 
tradat  et  possessionem  accipiat  et  unicuique  de  parvulis  alapas 
douet  et  torqueat  auriculas,  ut  ei  in  post  modum  testimonium 
prsebeant.  .  .  . 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Alamanni. 

32.  Lex  Alamannorum.  LXXXVIII.  Ut  fratres  post  mortem 
patris  eorum  hereditatem  non  dissipent  antequam  dividant  earn. 

Documents  describing  allodial  property. 

33.  Wartmann.  Urkundenbucli  der  Abtei  Sanct  Gallen.  2.  3.  4.  5. 
7.  9.  12. 13.  14.  21.  24.  38.  49.'  59.  60.  64.  67.  69.  72.  73.  83.  88. 
107.  108.  110.  126.  142.  146.  214. 

'  As  these  Sanct  Gallen  documents  resemble  many  already  quoted, 
and  are  rather  formal  in  character,  I  will  give  references  simply. 
I  will  make  some  extracts,  however,  from  the  early  and  very  inter¬ 
esting  records  of  the  monastery  Weissenburg  in  Alsace. 

34.  Zeuss.  Traditiones  Wizenburgenses.  I  .  .  .  liobas  III 
et  mancipia  super  commanentes  .  .  .  homines  qui  super  ipsam 
terrain  videntur  deservire  ;  hoc  est,  tarn  mansis,  domibus,  edificiis, 
mancipiis,  acolabus,  campis,  pratis,  vineis,  silvis,  pascuis,  aquis 
aquarumve  decursibus,  quicquid  in  ipsa  fine  visus  sum  habere  .  .  . 
IV.  .  .  .  silva  ibidem  mihi  aspicientem  ad  porcos  crassare  plus 
minus  XY.  ...  Y.  ...  X  jornales  de  terra  aratoria  et  prato 
ubi  potest  annis  singulis  plus  minus  Y  carra  de  feno  colligere 
....  YII.  .  .  .  de  terra  culturali  XX  jornales  in  campum  unum 
juntos  et  est  terminata  ab  uno  latere  habet  Suaidemundus  et  ab 
alio  latere  habet  Ratwino.  .  .  .  X.  .  .  .  res  meas  quod  in  villa 
Burghaime  pater  meus  Adalbertus  condam  mihi  moriens  dereliquid 
et  ego  contra  germano  meo  Hebrohardo  in  porcionem  recipi  et  ad 
me  pervenit,casis,  casalibus,terris,  pratis,  silvis  pascuis.  .  .  .  XIV. 
.  .  .  villas  [nine  of  them]  .  .  .  de  genitore  meo  .  .  .  XVII. 
....  villas  juris  nostri  [four  of  them]  .  .  .  XXI.  .  .  .  silva 
sicut  ego  ibidem  liabui  .  .  .  XXXVII.  .  .  .  quantumcumque 
genitor  meus  Raginliodus  mihi  moriens  dereliquid,  mea  portiohe, 
tarn  terris,  mansis,  casis,  campis,  pratis,  pascuis,  silvis,  aquis.  .  . 
LII.  .  .  .  haec  omnia  sicut  jam  diximus  tarn  de  aviatico,  quam  de 


paterno,  sive  de  materno,  sive  de  comparato,  vel  de  quacurtique 
libet  adtractu.  .  .  .  LIII  .  .  .  excepto  ilia  silva  quod  ego  mea 
uxore  in  lib.  dote  condonavi.  .  „  .  LXIX.  .  .  .  tres  partes  de  ilia 
marca  silvatica,  portione  videlicit  sua.  .  .  .  LXXX.  .  .  .  midieta- 
tem  de  ilia  silva.  .  .  .  C.  .  .  .  omnia  quicquid  conquirere  potui, 
aut  conquestum  visus  sum  habere  [acquisition  of  allodial  property 
by  adverse  possession].  .  .  .  CIIL  .  .  .  quicquid  filius  meus 
Radolphus  mihi  moriens  dereliquid,  vel  quicquid  ibidem  ad  prae- 
sens  possidere  videor,  tarn  de  alode  parentum  vel  de  qualibet 
adtractu.  .  .  .  CLIX.  .  .  .  villas  juris  nostri  .  .  .  una  cum  basil¬ 
ica  ad  illas  villas  aspicientes,  cum  terris.  .  .  .  CLXYII.  .  .  . 
in  Reni  fluminis  locum  ad  molinam  legitimam,  et  in  eodem  loco 
molinam  paratam.  .  .  .  CCYIII.  .  .  .  jornales  XYI,  forastum 
unum  et  portionem  meam  de  ilia  liarde.  .  .  .  CCXX1II.  .  .  . 
porcione  ilia  in  Johannevillare  quern  nobis  de  avunculi  nostri 
Cuhnchyrino  ligybus  obvenit.  .  .  .  CCXXX.  .  .  .  res  meas  in 
pago  Faroinse,  terra  araturia  in  Cotinea  Marca,  campo  uno ;  ipse 
campus  de  uno  latus  Frodoldus  et  sui  consorte  [?  colieredes,  con- 
participes  in  patrimonio,  compare  numbers  16,  17,  under  26],  de 
alio  latus  et  de  ambas  frontus  Thudonius  tenet.  .  .  .  CCXXXYI. 

.  .  .  hoba  una  cum  casa  et  scuria  et  cum  terris,  pratis,  pascuis 
silvis,  aquis  aquarumque  decursibus,  sicut  ad  ipsa  hoba  pertinet  et 
tres  mensuras  supra  ad  arare.  .  .  . 

Dispute  between  two  families  about  the  boundaries  of  their  re¬ 
spective  lands. 

85.  Lex  Alamannorum.  LXXXIY.  Si  qua  contentio  orta  fuerit 
inter  duas  genealogias  de  termino  terrae  eorum,  et  unus  dicit : 
Hie  est  noster  terminus,  alius  revadit  in  alium  locum,  et  dicit: 
Hie  est  noster  terminus,  ibi  praesens  sit  Comes  de  plebe  ilia  et 
ponet  signum  ubi  iste  voluerit,  et  ubi  ille  alius  voluerit  terminum, 
et  girent  ipsam  contentionem.  Postquam  girata  fuerit,  veniant  in 
medium  et  prsesente  Comite,  tollant  de  ipsa  terra  quod  Alamanni 
curfifodi  dicunt,  et  ramos  de  ipsis  arboribus  infigant  in  ipsam  ter- 
ram  quam  tollunt,  et  illae  genealogiae  quae  contendunt  levent  illam 
terrain  praesente  Comite  et  commendent  in  sua  manu  :  ille  involvat 
in  fanone  et  ponat  sigillum,  et  commendet  fideli  manu  usque  ad 
statutum  placitum.  Tunc  spondeant  inter  se  pugnam  duorum. 
Quando  parati  sunt  ad  pugnam,  tunc  ponant  ipsam  terram  in 
medio  et  tangant  ipsam  cum  spatis  suis,  cum  quibus  pugnare  debent, 


15 


et  testificentur  Deum  creatorem  ut  cujus  sit  justitia  ipsius  sit  et 
victoria  ;  et  pugnent.  Qualis  de  ipsis  vicerit  ipse  possideat  illam 
contentionem,  et  illi  allii  praesumptiosi  quia  proprietatem  eontra- 
dixerunt  duodecim  solidos  componant. 

This  passage  has  been  quoted  as  evidence  of  joint  ownership  of 
land  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that,  according  to  the  law  of  alo¬ 
dial  inheritance  above  quoted  (32),  the  land  of  the  family,  gene- 
alogia ,  would  be  the  sum  of  the  land  owned  %by  the  members 
individually.  If  any  of  the  land  of  the  family  was  undivided,  it 
was  an  undivided  inheritance,  not  joint  property. 

36.  Fontes  Rerum  Austriacarum.  XXXI.  20.  .  .  .  confinium 
coheredum.  .  .  . 

As  undivided  inheritance,  the  confinium  coheredum  was  divisi¬ 
ble  at  any  time  among  the  coheredes  ;  and  the  share  of  each  was 
determined  by  the  number  of  his  father’s  sons,  of  his  grandfather’s 
sons,  of  his  great-grandfather’s  sons,  and  so  on  back  to  the  sons 
of  the  common  progenitor.  It  was  necessary  simply  to  make 
exocquationes  for  each  generation,  beginning  with  the  first.  The 
enjoyment  of  undivided  lands  was  in  theory  at  least  limited  by 
the  relative  proportion  of  individual  rights  of  inheritance  and 
property.  Compare 

37.  Lex  Burgundionum.  Additamentum  Primum.  I.  5.  Agri- 
quoque  communis  nullis  terminis  limitati,  exaequationem  inter 
consortes  nullo  tempore  denegandam  [between  Frodoldus  et  sui  con - 
sorte  (CCXXX  under  34).  Compare  also  4].  6.  Silvarum,  mon- 
tium  et  pascuorum  unicuique  pro  rata  suppetit  esse  communionem 
[ pro  rata  refers  to  individual  rights  of  inheritance  or  property]. 

38.  Mohr.  Codex  Diplomaticus  Cur-Rastiens.  35  (in  Wartmann 
680).  .  .  .  Talem  usum  habuimus,  qualem  unus  quisque  liber 
homo  de  sua  proprietate  juste  et  legaliter  decet  habere,  in  campis, 
pascuis,  silvis  lignorumque  succissionibus,  atque  porcorum  pastu, 
pratis,  viis,  aquis  aquarumque  decursibus,  piscationibus,  exitibus 
et  reditibus. 

Read  the  following  document,  and  imagine  the  undivided  land 
of  the  two  brothers  remaining  an  undivided  inheritance  among 
their  descendants  for  six  generations. 

39.  Wartmann.  186.  Nos  vero  in  Dei  nomine  Wago  et  Chada- 
loh,  filii  Perahtoldi.  .  .  .  tradimus  .  .  .  quedam  loca  .  .  .  sicut 
in  hodierna  die  a  nobis  possessa  noscuntur,  tarn  divisa  inter  nos, 
quam  etiam  ea  que  in  commune  adhuc  habere  videmur.  .  .  . 


16 


Suppose  that  the  amount  of  undivided  land  was  one  thousand 
jurnales.  Devise  a  genealogical  table,  and  divide  and  subdivide 
the  thousand according  to  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance.  ( 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  problem  of  excequatio  inter  consortes  or  com - 
munio  pro  rata  was  a  very  easy  one  so  long  as  the  knowledge  of 
genealogical  relationship  was  preserved.  A  mass  of  evidence 
might  be  given  to  show  that  such  knowledge  was  valued  very 
highly  and  preserved  very  carefully  by  the  Germans  in  early 
times.  To  be  sure,  appropriations  of  undivided  land  were  con¬ 
stantly  made,  capturce  or  conquesta  in  the  documents  (compare  25 
and  33  under  30,  and  2,  21,  and  64  under  26,  and  C  under  34). 

In  these  cases,  if  the' right  of  possession  was  not  contradicted  by 
neighbors  or  kinsmen,  coheredes ,  conparticipes  in  patrimonio ,  it 
was  assumed  that  no  more  land  had  been  appropriated  than  would 
have  been  acquired  in  a  general  division,  di'bisio  vel  excequatio. 

Indeed,  it  was  unlawful  to  appropriate  more  than  one’s  due  share 
(share  by  right  of  allodial  inheritance)  of  undivided  land.  Com¬ 
pare 

40.  Lex  Ripuaria.  LX.  2.  Si  quis  consortem  suum  quantu- 
lumcunque  superpriserit,  cum  quindecim  solidis  restituat.  \ 

The  consortes  were  regularly  coheredes  (compare  the  formula  4). 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Bavarians. 

41.  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  XIV.  8.  Ut  fratres  hereditatem  patris 
sequaliter  dividant.  .  .  . 

Items  of  allodial  property  mentioned  in  the  law. 

42.  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  I.  1.  ...  villas,  terram.  .  .  .  VIII. 

12.  .  .  .  hortum  alicuius.  .  .  .  XI.  3.  ,  .  .  fines  fundorum.  .  .  . 
terminos  alienos.  .  .  .  XII.  6.  .  .  .  messem  vel  pratum  alterius. 

.  .  .  XV.  2.  Si  quis  vendiderit  possessionem  suam  alicui,  terram 
cultam,  non  cultam,  prata,  vel  silvas.  .  .  .  XVI.  1.  .  .  .  agrum 
aut  pratum  vel  exartum.  .  .  .  XXL  .  .  .  alienum  pomarium.  .  .  . 
aliena  nemora.  .  .  .  alterius  silva.  .  .  . 

Concerning  boundaries  of  allodial  inheritance  and  property  we 
must  read  — 

43.  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  XI.  5.  Quotiens  de  commarchanis 
[note  this  word]  contentio  nascitur,  ubi  evidentia  signa  non  appa¬ 
rent  in  arboribus,  aut  in  montibus,  nec  in  fiuminibus,  et  iste 
dicit :  Hucusque  antecessores  mei  tenuerunt,  et  in  alodem  mihi 
reliquerunt,  et  ostendit  secundum  proprium  arbitrium  locum ; 


17 


alter  vero  nihilominus  in  istius  partem  ingreditur,  alium  ostendit 
locum,  secundum  prioris  verba,  suum  et  suorum  antecesso- 
rum  semper  fuisse  usque  in  prsesens  asserit.  Et  si  alia  pro- 
batio  nusquam  invenire  denoscitur,  nec  utriusque  invasionem 
compensare  voluerit,  tunc  spondeant  invicem  wehadinc  quod 
dicimus,  et  in  campiones  non  sorteantur,  sed  cui  Deus  fortiam 
dederit  et  victoriam  ad  ipsius  partem  designata  pars,  ut  quserit, 
pertineat. 

No  stronger  evidence  can  be  given  against  joint  ownership  of 
land.  The  dominium  de  terra  of  the  allodial  proprietor  cannot  be 
more  completely  established.  Compare 

44.  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  XVI. 

45.  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  XVII. 

In  both  cases,  as  in  43,  we  have  the  right  of  allodial  inheritance 
and  property  vindicated  by  battle  of  two  (compare  25). 

Documents  describing  allodial  property. 

46.  Meichelbeck.  Historia  Frisingensis.  I.  p.  52.  .  .  .  rem 
propriam,  quam  genitor  meus  Swarzoth  mihi  in  hereditatem  reli¬ 
quid.  .  .  .  casas,  cortes,  mancipias,  servos,  liberos,  tributales, 
omnem  cultam,  incultam,  campis,  silvis,  pratis,  aquis,  aquarum 
decurrentibus,  mulinos,  vineas,  greges,  jumenta  vel^  quicquid  ad 
ipsum  confinium  pertinebat  ...  I  will  refer  the  reader  to  the 
Instrumenta.  IV.  V.  VII.  X.  XII.  XIII.  XVIII.  XXVIII.  XXIX. 
XXXV. 

47.  Monumenta  Boica.  VII.  Monumenta  Sclieftlarensia.  III. 
X.  XI. 

All  these  documents  have  the  same  general  character.  The 
quantity  of  them  is  very  great  and  their  testimony  perfectly 
concurrent. 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Angli,  Werini,  and 
Thuringians. 

48.  Lex  Angliorum.et  Werinorum,  hoc  est  Thuringorum  VI.  1. 
Hereditatem  defuncti  filius  non  filia  suscipiat.  Si  filium  non 
habuit  qui  defunctus  est,  ad  filiam  pecunia  et  mancipia,  terra  vero 
ad  proximum  paternse  generationis  consanguineum  pertineat. 
...  8.  Usque  ad  quintam  generationem  paterna  generatio  suc- 
cedat.  Post  quintam  autem,  filia  ex  toto,  sive  de  patris,  sive 
matris  parte,  in  hereditatem  succedat,  et  tunc,  demum  liereditas 
ad  fusum  a  lancea  transeat. 


18 


When  the  inheritance  comes  at  last  to  the  woman,  it  is  no 
longer  associated  with  the  spear.  That  is  to  say,  it  is  no  longer 
dominium ,  only  jus  in  re.  The  dominium  would  be  held  by  the 
man  who  held  the  woman  in  tutelage,  in  mundeburde  vel  de- 
fensione. 

Documents  describing  allodial  property  among  the  Thuringians 
and  Werini. 

49.  Dronke.  Traditiones  Fuldenses.  Cap.  38  and  Cap.  5. 
Compare 

50.  Jaffe.  Monumenta  Moguntina.  Ex  Othloni  vita  S.  Boni- 
fatii.  p.  490.  Exinde  septum  carpens  iter  et  Thuringiam  para- 
grans  [sanctus  Bonifacius,  praedicando  et  baptizando],  diligenter 
investigavit  cujus  ille  locus  esset,  ubi  visio  tanta  sibi  apparuit. 
Compertoque,  quod  Hugo,  qui  dicebatur  senior,  illius  loci  pos¬ 
sessor  esset,  petiit  ab  eo,  ut  sibi  dare  dignaretur.  At  ille,  petita 
annuens,  primus  omnium  Thuringorum  hereditatem  ^uam  tradidit 
venerando  prsesuli.  Deinde  vero  Albolt  aliique  plures  con- 
tigua  praedicto  loco  praedia  tradiderunt. 

In  the  same  way  St.  Gall,  when  he  found  a  place  for  his  mon¬ 
astery,  discovered  that  the  land  he  wanted  was  owned  by  several 
persons.  They  made  donation  severally.  (Compare  the  Ratperti 
Casus  and  Otmari  Yita.  Monumenta  Germaniae.  Scriptores.  II. 
pp.  61,  62,  92.) 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Saxons. 

51.  Lex  Saxonum.  VII.  5.  Qui  defunctus  non  filios,  sed  Alias 
reliquerit,  ad  eas  omnis  hereditas  pertineat,  tutela  vero  earum, 
fratri  vel  proximo  paterni  generis  deputetur. 

The  dominium  would  lie  with  the  frater  or  proximus  paternoe 
generis  (compare  above  48). 

Vindication  of  allodial  inheritance  and  property  in  land  by 
battle  of  two,  pugna  duorum. 

52.  Lex  Saxonum.  XYI.  Qui  terram  suam  occupatam  ab 
altero  dixerit,  adhibitis  idoneis  testibus,  probat  earn  suam  fuisse  ; 
si  occupator  contradixerit,  campo  dijudicetur. 

Documents  describing  allodial  property  among  the  Frisians  and 
Saxons. 

53.  Dronke.  Traditiones  Fuldenses.  Cap.  41.  Descriptiones 
eorum  qui  de  Saxonia  et  Fresia  sancto  Bonifacio  sua  predia  obtu- 
lerunt.  4.  .  .  .  XX  villulis  .  .  .  16  .  .  .  XXX  jugera  et  unum 


19 


lidum  nomine  Cuteo  et  silvam  sicut  alii  lidi  liabere  videntur  XL 
jugerum.  29  .  .  .  dimidiam  partem  capture  que  est  circa  fontem 
qui  dicitur  Magedobrunno  .  .  .  31  .  .  .  villas  IIII.  .  .  .  72  .  .  . 
predium  meum  terram  scil.  XXIIII  bourn  arandam  .  .  .  113 
.  .  .  proprietatem  meam  in ‘loco  Hericgibruhusen  et  in  ceteris 
villis  quicquid  mihi  amicus  meus  Gozleib  dare  commendavit  tarn 
in  hubis  quam  in  areis,  silvis,  pratis,  domibus,  familiis  .  .  .  man- 
cipiorum  cum  prolibus  eorum  fere  centum  .  .  .  Cap.  7.  De- 
scriptiones  eorum  qui  de  Fresia  bona  sco.  Bonifacio  tradiderunt. 
20  .  .  .  terram  XXX  duorum  pecorum  pascualem.  Et  in  alio 
loco  .  .  .  terram  XXVIII  pecudum  pascualem,  in  tercio  loco  .  .  . 
X  pecudum  pascua  et  insuper  terram  arature  suficientem  ad  bee, 
cum  mancipiis  et  cultoribus  agrorum  XXX  numero.  22.  .  .  . 
quicquid  in  locis  istis  hereditatis  vel  proprietatis  habeo  .  .  .  XX 
virgas  de  terra  arabili  .  .  .  pascua  XIII  bourn  .  .  .  27  .  .  . 
XV  bourn  terram  .  .  .  28  .  .  .  XXX  bourn  terram.  29  .  .  . 
terram  X  bourn  sicut  apud  illos  mos  dicendi  est,  apud  nos  vero 
X  jugera  [this  is  interesting]. 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  is  wanting  in  the  Lex  Frisio- 
num.  Compare  however  Tit.  XIX.  De  parricidiis. 

The  law  of  allodial  inheritance  among  the  Lombards. 

54.  Edictum  Rotharis  CLIII.  Omnis  parentela  usque  in  sep- 
timum  genuculum  numeretur,  ut  parens  parenti  per  gradum  et 
parentelam  heres  succedat.  Sic  tamen  ut  ille  qui  succedere  vult, 
nominatim  uniuscuiusque  nomina  parentum  suorum  antecessorum 
dicat.  .  .  . 

55.  Formula.  -Petre  te  appelat  Marti nus,  quod  tu  tenes  sibi 
malo  ordine  terram  quse  jacet  in  loco  tali.  Ipsa  terra  de  qua  tu 
dicis,  mea  propria  est  de  parte  Dominicis  parentis  mei.  Et  tibi 
quid  pertinet  ad  requirendum  ?  De  parte  ipsius.  Tunc  interoga 
ipsum  qui  tenet,  quomodo  fuit  suus  parens.  Marcoardus  proavus 
suus  fuit,  consobrinus  de  proavo  meo,  et  fuerunt  in  tertio  gradu. 
Avus  meus  et  avus  illius  in  quarto.  Pater  meus  et  pater  illius  in 
quinto.  Ego  et  ille  in  sexto.  Interroga  similiter  ilium  qui  pulsat. 
Avus  meus  et  avus  suus  fuerunt  fratres  et  fuerunt  secundo  gradu. 
Pater  meus  et  mater  sua  in  tertio.  Ego  et  ille  in  quinto.  Et  cum 
fuerit  nominata  haec  parentela,  interroga  eum  qui  tenet, -si  potest 
probare  quod  plus  proximus  sit.  Si  non  potest  probare,  probet 
ipse  qui  appellat.  Et  si  ipse  non  protuerit,  juret  ipse  qui  ap- 


20 


pelatus  est  cum  suis  sacramentalibus,  quod  plus  proximus  sit,  et 
habeat  ipsam  terram. 

We  have  now  learned  what  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance  was, 
and  we  have  learned  that  the  inheritaifce  conferred  by  this  law 
consisted  of  property  in  land,  dominium  de  terra.  We  have  learned 
that  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance  was  common  to  the  Salian  and 
Ripuarian  Franks,  the  Alamanni,  the  Bavarians,  the  Angli,  Wer- 
ini,  Thuringians,  Saxons,  and  Lombards,  in  the  earliest  period  of 
their  recorded  history.  May  we  not  then  infer  that  it  was  the  law 
of  the  Teutonic  race  before  it  had  separated  into  branches, 
that  is  to  say  in  prehistoric  time  ?  But  it  is  said  that  Caesar 
and  Tacitus,  in  their  account  of  the  Germans,  describe  the  institu¬ 
tion  of  joint  ownership  of  land  which,  as  we  have  seen,  is  not  con¬ 
sistent  with  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance.  If  this  is  so,  we  shall 
have  to  weigh  the  testimony  of  Caesar  and  Tacitus  against  that  of 
all  the  laws,  formulae,  and  documents  we  have  been  reading ;  and 
I  am  afraid  that  the  testimony  of  Caesar  and  Tacitus  would  count 
for  very  little.  But  first  let  us  see  what  they  say,  —  whether,  in¬ 
deed,  they  do  describe  the  institution  of  joint  ownership  of  land  as 
is  maintained.  We  will  first  read 

56.  Caesar.  De  Bello  Gallico.  VI.  22  .  .  .  magistratus  ac 
principes  in  annos  singulos  gentibus  cognationibusque  hominum, 
qui  una  coierunt,  quantum,  et  quo  loco  visum  est,  agri  attribuunt, 
atque  anno  post  alio  transire  cogunt. 

57.  Caesar.  De  Bello  Gallico.  IV.  1.  .  .  .  neque  longius  anno  re- 
manere  uno  in  loco  incolendi  caussa  licet. 

58.  Horace.  Carmina.  III.  XXIV.  14.  Nec  cultura  placet  longior 
annua  [of  the  Getae], 

So  far  we  have  no  evidence  of  joint  ownership  of  land.  Read¬ 
ing- 

59.  Caesar.  De  Bello  Gallico.  VI.  22.  .  .  .  neque  quisquam  agri 
modum  certum  aut  fines  habet  proprios  [sed  privati  ac  separati 
agri  apud  eos  nihil  est,  in  IV.  1]. 

We  should  say  that  there  was  no  ownership  at  all,  only  adverse 
possession  for  a  short  time  by  groups  of  kinsmen.  But  let  us 
read  — 

60.  Tacitus.  Germania.  26.  Agri  pro  numero  cultorum  ab  uni- 
versis  in  vices  occupantur,  quos  mox  inter  se.secundum  dignationem 
partiuntur  ;  facilitatem  partiendi  camporum  spatia  praebent.  Arva 
per  annos  mutant  et  superest  ager. 


21 


Ab  universis  in  vices  is  explained  in  — 

61.  Caesar.  De  Bello  Gallico.  IV.  1.  Hi  [Suevi]  centum  pagos 
habere  dicuntur,  ex  quibus  quotannis  singula  milia  armatorum 
bellandi  caussa  ex  finibus  educunt.  Reliqui  qui  domi  manserint, 
se  atque  illos  alunt.  Hi  rursus  invicem  anno  post  in  armis  sunt ; 
illi  domi  remanent.  Sic  neque  agricultura,  neque  ratio  atque  usus 
belli  intermittitur. 

Compare  — 

62.  Anglo-Saxon  Chronicle.  A.  894.  King  Alfred  divided  his 
forces,  so  that  one  half  was  constantly  at  home,  the  other  half  in 
the  field. 

There  is  no  evidence  of  joint  ownership  of  land  in  the  phrase  ab 
universis  in  vices .  It  remains  for  us  to  consider  the  meaning  of 
agros  inter  se  secundum  dignationem  partiuntur.  Joint  ownership 
implies  equality ;  a  divisio  secundum  dignationem  implies  inequality. 
Can  we  say  that  there  is  any  evidence  here  of  the  institution  of  joint 
ownership  of  land  ? 

It  does  not  seem  to  me  reasonable  to  base  any  theory  of  owner¬ 
ship  or  tenure  of  land  upon  the  evidence  either  of  the  twenty-sixth 
chapter  of  the  Germania  or  the  above  passages  from  Caesar.  The 
most  we  can  infer  is  :  1,  the  temporary  occupation  of  tracts  of  land 
by  groups  of  kinsmen  ;  2,  division  of  land  among  the  members  of 
these  groups,  secundum  dignationem  ;  3,  adverse  possession  by  the 
individual  of  the  land  thus  acquired. 

Fortunately,  however,  we  are  not  left  in  doubt  as  to  the  nature 
of  the  divisio  secundum  dignationem.  The  following  passages  occur 
in  the  law  of  the  Visigoths. 

63.  Lex  Wisigothorum.  X.  1. 1.  Valeat  semel  facta  divisio  justa, 
ut  nulla  in  post  modum  immutandi  admittatur  occasio.  2.  Divi- 
sionem  factam  inter  fratres,  etiamsi  sine  scriptura,  inter  eos  con- 
venerit  permanere  jubemus  ;  dummodo  a  testibus  idoneis  compro- 
betur  et  divisio  ipsa  plenam  habeat  firmitatem.  3.  Si  plures 
fuerint  in  divisione  consortes,  quod  a  multis  vel  a  melioribus 
juste  constitutum  est,  a  paucis  vel  deterioribus  non  convenit 
aliquatenus  immutari.  .  .  .  5  .  .  .  Qui  placitum  divisionis  irru- 
perit,  et  quamlibet  partem  aliens©  portionis  invaserit,  tantum 
de  suo  quantum  de  alieno  occupavit,  amittat.  .  .  .  8  .  .  .  Sed 
quod  a  parentibus  vel  vicinis  divisum  est  posteritas  immutare 
non  tenet. 


22 


Read  again  56.  The  conclusion  is  inevitable.  The  gentibus 
cognationibusque  hominum ,  qui  una  coierunt  are  the  consortes  and 
the  parentes  vel  vicini  of  63,  and  the  territory  assigned  to  them  is 
their  allodial  inheritance.  It  is  the  conjinium  coheredum  (com¬ 
pare  36).  Compare  — 

64.  Praeceptum  Bosonis  Regis  Burgundii.  A.  887.  (Du  Cange, 

under  Genealogia) . alodium  de  nostris  genealogiis  pro- 

priis . 

Reread  37,  and  in  connection  with  it  the  following  from  a  docu¬ 
ment  among  the  records  of  Freising. 

65.  Meichelbeck.  I.  p.  49.  .  .  .  appetivi  [Josephus  episcopus] 
locum  ad  proprios  heredes,  quo  vocatur  Erichinga,  et  ibidem  pro 
necessitate  domos  construxi,  quia  antea  jam  temporibus  plurimis  in- 
culta  atque  deserta  remansit,  omnes  autem  possessores  hujus  loci 
prumptis  viribus  donantes  atque  tradentes.  .  .  .  Tasillo  Dux  Bajoa- 
rorum  quicquid  ad  Feringas  pertinebat  pariter  ipsis  consentienti- 
bus,  Alfrid  cum  fratribus  suis  et  participibus  eorum  atque  consortiis. 
Reliquas  autem  partes  quicquid  ad  genealogiarn  quae  vocatur 
Fagana  [compare  Lex  Baiuvariorum.  II.  20]  pertinebat,  tradiderunt 
ipsi,  id  sunt:  Ragino,  Anulo,  Wetti  et  Wurmhart  et  cuncti  par- 
ticipes  eorum,  donantes  .... 

The  alodium  de  genealogia  Fagana  would  be  a  family  inheritance 
divided  or  divisible  among  all  the  members  according  to  the  law  of 
allodial  inheritance.  By  reference  to  54,  the  reader  will  see  how 
easy  it  was  at  any  time  to  determine  the  amount  of  land  due  to 
any  member  of  a  genealogia  or  parentela ,  by  simple  reference  to 
the  sons  of  common  progenitors  and  the  number  of  them,  making 
excequationes  accordingly  (compare  remarks  under  36). 

If  any  doubt  remains  in  the  reader’s  mind  whether  secundum 
dignationem ,  which  seems  to  refer  to  social  rank,  can  refer  to 
rights  of  inheritance  and  property,  it  will  be  removed  by  the  fol¬ 
lowing  extracts  from  Anglo-Saxon  sources:  — 

66.  Anglo-Saxon  Law  of  Wergilds.  9.  If  a  ceorl  be  enriched 
so  that  he  has  five  hides  of  his  own  land  and  any  one  slay  him,  let 
him  be  paid  for  with  II.  M.  thrimsas.  10.  If  he  be  enriched  so 
that  he  has  a  coat  of  mail,  a  helmet,  and  a  gilded  sword,  and  yet 
has  not  that  land,  he  is  sithcund. 

67.  Anglo-Saxon  Law  of  Ranks.  2.  If  a  ceorl  thrive  so  that  he 
has  fully  five  hides  of  his  own  land,  church  and  kitchen,  bell-house 


23 


and  buhr-gate-seat,  and  duty  in  the  king’s  hall,  then  he  is  of  thane- 
right  worthy.  5.  And  if  a  thane  thrive  so  that  he  becomes  an  eorl. 
then  is  he  of  eorl-rigXti  worthy. 

68.  Historia  Eliensis.  II.  40.  (Gale.  Scriptores.  XV.  I).  Habuit 
enim  [^bbas  Wlfricus]  fratrem  Gudmundum  vocabulo,  qui  filiam 
praepotentis  viri  in  matrimonium  conjungi  paraverat.  Sed  quo- 
niam  ille  quadraginta  hidarum  terrae  dominium  minime  obtineret, 
licet  nobilis  esset,  inter  proceres  tunc  numerari  non  potuit,  eum 
puella  repudiavit  .... 

The  divisio  inter  se  secundum  dignationem  described  by  Tacitus 
was  the  division  of  an  alodium  de  genealogia  among  the  members  of  a 
genealogia  according  to  their  several  rights  of  allodial  inheritance 
or  property.  The  alodium  was  alotted  to  the  genealogia  (jgentibus 
cognationibusque  hominum  qui  una  coierunt')  quantum  et  quo  loco 
visum  est  by  the  magistratus  ac  principes  ;  and  thus  the  law  of 
allodial  inheritance  was  fulfilled. 

This  brings  me  to  the  end  of  my  labor.  It  has  been  shown  :  1 , 
that  joint  ownership  of  land  was  unknown  among  the  Germans  in 
the  fifth  and  following  centuries  ;  2,  that  it  must  have  been  unknown 
among  them  in  the  time  of  Caesar  and  Tacitus  ;  that  it  is  not  de¬ 
scribed  by  these  writers  ;  3,  that  the  law  of  allodial  inheritance,  equal 
division  of  land  among  sons,  is  common  to  all  branches  of  the  Teu¬ 
tonic  race;  4,  that  it  must  have  been  the  law  of  that  race  before  it 
was  separated  into  branches  ;  5,  that  the  law  of  equal  division  of 
land  among  sons  contradicts  the  theory  of  village  communities  with 
joint  ownership  of  land.  The  result  of  further  investigation  will 
be  given  hereafter. 


NOTE  OF  ERROR. 

The  reading  ceteri ,  for  ceteris ,  in  Germania,  Cap.  13,  is,  I  discover,  an 
emendation.  The  MSS.  reading  is  ceteris  ;  which  fact,  of  course,  weakens 
my  argument,  as  stated.  The  classification  of  the  freemen  (p.  12)  holds 
good,  however,  which  is  the  main  point. 

D.  W.  R. 


Cambridge,  October  8,  1880. 


